“The Capitals’ offseason additions of Williams and Oshie have given them a boost on the ice, but Washington also gained two experienced crossworders. Both said their past teams also had crossword clubs, with players pulling them out on short bus rides to the rink. Carlson used to be the team’s best crossworder, but the consensus is that it’s now Williams, with Carlson a close second.

“We got a lot of young pups on this team, you know?” Williams said. “I’m like the father-figure of the crossword. I’ve been doing it a little longer, so I know some answers that maybe they don’t.”

Williams is the cleanup hitter of the crossword club. He’ll work on his own, able to complete a New York Times crossword on a Monday or Tuesday, but when others get stumped, he’ll help them finish. Alzner said it’s like having a computer next to you.

Once a player working alone gets stumped, he will gravitate toward pairs; Alzner and Oshie work together, as do Williams and Carlson. Outside of giving answers, the process is silent. They use a pen, and when they finish, everyone who contributed signs the bottom.”